


iota omega iota

by minhyuned (kyoongs)



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Yongguk-centric, frat AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-11-12 21:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11170437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyoongs/pseuds/minhyuned
Summary: Yongguk didn't know what he was getting into when he decided to join iota omega iota, one of the most mysterious and elite fraternities known. However, he's pretty sure it didn't mean he has to get up at 2 a.m. to go TP another frat. Seriously, TP-ing wassobasic. He's also pretty sure he could think of better pranks than Choi Minki (but don't let him hear that).





	1. greek out before you freak out

Yongguk looks around the courtyard, takes in the multitudes of students, and gulps.

When he’d first heard of Rush Week, he hadn’t expected it to be so… rushed.

The sun glowers down upon him and the cacophony of students fades into background noise. He contemplates taking the initiative to move towards the tables of fraternities and mentally decides against it at the last minute.

He glances back at the bustling tables one last time before sighing. When he’d left, Sihyun had made him promise he’d join a popular frat so the younger could also join the following year, when he started university. 

The fact that he’s too timid to carry out his promise weighs bitterly on his tongue. He doesn’t like disappointing his friend. It doesn’t help that he’s a Chinese transfer student in one of the best universities in South Korea. The con of being here was that he knew virtually no one who could help him stumble his way through his freshman year.

Yongguk turns and almost bumps into a tall figure. Eyes downcast, he mutters a quiet apology.

He almost misses what the person says and has to sheepishly ask them to repeat themself.

“Are you looking to pledge?”

Yongguk looks up to soft brown eyes and a warm face. He doesn’t know why but the nerves in his stomach seem to calm at the sight of the person.

“Uhm,” he licks his suddenly dry lips, “Not really. I-I wanted to but now…”

“This,” the guy gestures to the courtyard, “can be very overwhelming. Are you a first-year?”

“Yes,” Yongguk nods, his bangs swishing with the movement.

The guy smiles at his confirmation, “Are you a transfer student? Your pronunciation is very good.”

“I’m from China,” Yongguk replies, “I thought joining a frat would help me make friends but…”

He trails off and he doesn’t think the guy is surprised by it.

“Well, I can imagine it must be very new and scary for you,” the guy’s mouth quirks down and he shoots him a sympathetic look, “What’s your name?”

“Kim Yongguk,” he bows slightly and flushes. Introducing himself should have been the first thing he did.

“Kim Jonghyun,” the guy smiles, “And I would like you to join my fraternity.”

 

 

* * *

 

Yongguk stands outside a three-story building, staring up at the large ‘IOI’ letters in gold. The front lawn is wide and if he closes his eyes, he imagines it filled with people here for a party or some other social activity.

A nudge brings him to the present and he startles slightly. Jonghyun smiles at him softly.

“Do you want to come in?”

“Uhm,” Yongguk bites the inside of his lip and exhales heavily. “Sure.”

He stands on a cliff and takes the last step off it. Jonghyun searches his face for a moment before nodding, satisfied with what he finds. The smile that follows is reassuring and Yongguk thinks that maybe, just maybe, this won’t be so bad.

 

 

* * *

 

When Yongguk steps inside, a loud shriek immediately draws his attention.

“Samuel! Jihoon! No running in the hallways!”

“Yes, MOM!” Comes the reply punctuated by giggles.

Jonghyun sighs and shakes his head, “I promise, we’re a very reputable fraternity.”

Yongguk finds his lips quirking upwards and gives a small nod. He takes in the interior of the house and his eyes linger on the painting in the entryway. Jonghyun lightly touches his arm and gestures for him to follow.

“Here’s the rec area,” the first room is wide, a TV on one end and a pool table on the other. There are various chairs to relax in and settled in front of the TV are two guys who immediately stand when they notice Jonghyun and Yongguk.

“Hyung!” The taller one with bright pink hair grins at them, his eyes disappearing into crescents. “Is this a new pledge?”

“We’ll see about that,” Jonghyun shoots him a secretive smile and turns to Yongguk. “This is Kang Daniel and Ong Seongwoo.”

“Hello,” Yongguk bows deeply, “Kim Yongguk, it’s nice to meet you.”

“What are you studying?” Seongwoo asks him immediately.

“I’m majoring in music theory and composition,” Yongguk lifts a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Sweet!” Seongwoo grins and Yongguk feels himself relax under the bright gaze. “Jisung hyung is majoring in the same thing!”

“I’ll be sure to introduce you two,” Jonghyun muses. 

“I hope you decide to pledge to us,” Daniel shoots him a thumbs up, “You’ll love it here.”

“Let us finish the tour and then he can decide,” Jonghyun laughs. “See you guys later.”

“Bye Yongguk!” They chorus and he smiles as they leave.

After showing him the kitchen and dining room, Jonghyun leads him up a grand staircase and stops at the first floor.

“If you decide to pledge to us, this is where you would room if you’re accepted.” Jonghyun gestures down the long passageway, “C’mon.”

They walk a short distance and Jonghyun opens the door to one of the rooms. Yongguk steps in and takes in the empty beds on either side of the room, the bare walls and clean floors. He thinks how it would look with his guitar in a corner, pictures of his family on the wall and his colourful comforter adorning the bed. 

The mere thought of it is already so appealing.

“There aren’t any single rooms; everyone gets a roommate,” Jonghyun explains, “Would that be a problem?”

Yongguk shakes his head quickly. Satisfied, Jonghyun leads him out and back downstairs. Jonghyun leads him to a small room filled with books and trophies and sits down on a couch, gesturing for Yongguk to do the same.

“Iota Omega Iota is a well-known frat. We don’t accept just anyone,” Jonghyun’s gaze reminds him of how valuable this offer is. “We’re more commonly referred to as 101. Our only rules are no hazing or fatal pranks, we don’t tolerate fights within the frat, you must participate in a minimum of two frat events, dating is allowed and you need to swear by the Broduce 101 oath.”

“Broduce 101 oath?” Yongguk gulps.

Jonghyun’s face is unwavering before he breaks into a wide grin. “I’m just joking. But we are a very brotherly frat, we back each other up in outside fights, not like it happens often! I really think you’d fit in here, I’m proud of how this fraternity has grown.”

Yongguk nods and looks away for a moment. If he concentrates, he can hear laughter from the first floor, sounds of the pool table being used and a soft melody drifting from somewhere else in the house. 

“So?” Jonghyun prompts. “Would you like to pledge to us?”

He chews on his bottom lip for a moment. The house has a comfortable atmosphere, one he would appreciate and revel in. He thinks about the leap off the cliff he took in entering the house and it feels as if he is in free fall, heading into the Great Unknown. 

Yongguk takes a deep breath.

“Yes, I would like to pledge to Iota Omega Iota.”

Jonghyun smiles and Yongguk finds himself slowly returning it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! More will be introduced in the next chapter ^.^ Ongniel is the only pairing for now, I'm not sure who Yongguk should be with (suggestions? I was thinking of Youngmin tbh). ALSO SEEING HIM CRY MADE ME CRY BYE.


	2. i want you to pick me up

“Are we seriously doing this?” Yongguk mutters to himself.

Kenta hears him and shoots him a wry smile. “How badly do we want to get into 101?”

“Pretty badly,” Jaehwan sighs. “Come on, I can see Dean Boa leaving from here.”

Yongguk peered past Jaehwan and watched as Dean Boa was led to wear a ‘serious fight’ had supposedly broke out. 

A minute later, Eunki ran into the room and huffed out, “She’s gone. We have 5 minutes, tops.”

A shiver of excitement ran through Yongguk’s body and he rushed into the Dean’s office along with the three other boys. They took a moment to stare at the two microphones before springing into action.

Yongguk takes a deep breath before completing their initiation for iota omega iota. 

He and Eunki take one microphone with Jaehwan and Kenta on the other. They all share a resigned look and then they start.

“Good morning everyone!” Jaehwan yells into the microphone. “IT’S SHOWTIME!”

“I WANT YOU TO PICK ME UP!” The four of them shriek into the microphone. 

Yongguk winces when he hears the interference over the speakers. They continue to sing with all their might and he laughs into the microphone.

“PICK ME PICK ME PICK ME UP!”

The sound of thundering footsteps cause them to exchange panicked glances. They weren’t even two minutes.

It was either get caught or risk forfeiting their pledges. Yongguk looked to his watch and figured their time would be sufficient.

“THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US! WE HOPE YOU PICK US!” Yongguk shouts and rushes away from the microphone. “Come on! Hurry!”

He feels what’s probably Kenta’s small hands on his back and the four of them tumble out of the office. Eunki pauses, considering, and then takes off away from the footsteps. The three of them follow him and Yongguk yelps when someone shouts behind them.

“YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE!”

“Run!” Kenta shrieks. “Faster!”

They thunder down the stairs, eager to get away from the crime scene. Yongguk stumbles over the last step and Jaehwan hoists him up, running with Yongguk’s wrist in his hand.

Together they flee to a small courtyard behind the admin building, where Choi Minki awaits them.

Minki’s beautiful eyes are narrowed into slits when he spots them. He clicks the stopwatch and tuts. 

“You nearly didn’t make it.” Minki muses, his eyebrow raised.

“We didn’t expect anyone to catch us so quickly,” Yongguk breathlessly admits.

“But we made it?” Kenta’s large eyes peer at the VP. 

Minki surveys their flushed faces before breaking out into a grin. “Yeah, you guys made it.”

The four of them let out sighs of relief and simultaneously collapse in a heap on the ground. Minki watches them with a mixture of disgust and fondness.

“By the way, your singing sucks under pressure. I’m pretty sure Jonghyun can sing better, and he _raps_.”

Yongguk rolls his eyes and flushes even more when Kenta giggles. Oh well, who cares how they sounded. He just hopes he makes it into 101.

What a strange turn of events.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I know we can be a pretty unconventional fraternity,” Jonghyun begins, only to be cut off by a loud scoff.

“Can be?” Minki rolls his eyes, “C’mon, we _are_ the most weird fraternity but that’s what makes us so special.”

Jonghyun smiles wryly. “Yes, as our wonderful VP pointed out, we are unique and it adds to the distinctiveness of iota omega iota. Today, we are here to determine whether we accept or reject our new pledges.”

Yongguk unconsciously gulps and shifts nervously. An elbow nudges him and he looks at the person responsible for it. Jaehwan shoots him a reassuring smile yet the nervousness in his eyes contradicts it. However, Yongguk takes comfort in knowing he’s not the only one who’s anxious.

“Our four pledges, Hong Eunki, Kim Yongguk, Kim Jaehwan and Takada Kenta, successfully completed the tasks given to them by us. Now, they await the results of those tasks.”

Jonghyun paused and peered into each of the pledges’ faces. Yongguk wanted to shrink away from his strong gaze but he found warmth amongst the consideration in Jonghyun’s eyes. He took a deep breath and lifted his chin a little higher. 

Jonghyun seemed to smile slightly and continued, “We would like to officially accept and welcome to Iota Omega Iota…”

The four pledges tensed. Yongguk spared a glance across the room and caught the gaze of Kang Daniel, who shot him a small thumbs up and a wide smile.

“… Kim Jaehwan…”

Next to him, Yongguk felt Jaehwan deflate in relief as he exclaimed, “Thank you!”

“Hong Eunki… Takada Kenta… and…”

Yongguk bit the inside of his cheek and looked into Jonghyun’s eyes. The president of the frat surveyed him for a moment before breaking out into a grin, “And Kim Yongguk.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Yongguk bowed and couldn’t stop himself from smiling. 

“We hope you enjoy your time here,” Jonghyun continued. “And I hope you continue to uphold 101’s reputation.”

He looked into each pledge’s eyes, conveying his sincerity before clapping his hands. “Alright! Where’s the champagne? No?”

“Champagne is a bit too weak,” Minki huffed, “Here’s the requested vodka.”

Jonghyun blinks, “But I didn’t –“

“Oh, _I know_. You don’t have to thank me.”

Loud cheers abruptly ended Jonghyun’s approaching argument. He shook his head and smiled, moving to where Minhyun was.

A figure barrelled into Yongguk and he stumbled, only to be caught by said figure.

“Welcome to 101, Yongguk-ah!” Seongwoo grins at him. “I wonder who will be your roommate!”

“Thank you,” Yongguk replies, a bashful smile upon his face, “Probably another pledge.”

“The tasks you guys got were so easy!” A voice behind Seongwoo complained. “Do you know what I had to do?”

Yongguk shook his head and Taehyun continued, “I had to study a damn history textbook and then we got tested on it. If you didn’t know exactly when King Taejo decided to he hated tea, you were screwed.”

Taehyun looks so infuriated that Yongguk can’t help but burst out laughing. “That sounds so awful!”

“Believe me, it was,” Taehyun shudders, “Two guys didn’t make it into 101 because of that.”

“I wonder where they are now,” Seongwoo muses. 

Yongguk nods as well and Taehyun shoots him a mysterious smile, “Oh, I know. But that is a story for another time.”

He winks and quickly disappears into the small crowd around the pledges. 

Before he could question Seongwoo, someone pulls Yongguk towards the pool table and all thoughts regarding Taehyun are long forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this, thank you for reading ^.^


	3. there's a party at the end of the world

One month down, many more to go.

Yongguk steps out of the room and allows himself to be swept away in the sea of students heading outside. He manages to break free and find reprieve by a nearby bench. He collapses into it and pulls out his phone to see the text messages that stream in from the 101 group chat.

 

_onibugi president @ iota omega iota_

**onibugi president:** don’t forget the frat party tonight, starts at 7 p.m! Dongho, Daniel and Sungwoon on bouncer duty.

 **sungwoonie** : why me >.< no one is afraid of me!

 **yes taehyun** : true, jihoon is more threatening than sungwoon LOL

 **sungwoonie** : (ง •̀_•́)ง

 **onibugi president:** ok, ok, just Dongho and Daniel then

 **sungwoonie** : (◡‿◡✿)

 

Yongguk shakes his head fondly and pockets his phone. He glances around the campus and exhales softly. Despite his fears and reservations, being part of a fraternity was not as frightening as he thought it would be.

He shares at least three of his five classes with some of the 101 brothers and they never fail to make him feel at ease. Initially he’d stuck to Jonghyun and Dongho as well as the other pledges, especially since Dongho was fluent in Mandarin and helped him when he struggled with Korean. But now, he wasn’t as afraid to break out of his shell and talk to others.

Heck, the other day he even said something so witty that Minki had clapped his back in approval.

Yongguk was just starting to dig in his bag for his laptop when someone collapsed next to him and sighs heavily. “I really hate uni sometimes.”

Yongguk startles and turns to see one of his frat brothers looking as if he hadn’t slept in a week. He pauses for a moment, trying to remember his name and nodded when he did.

“Only sometimes?”

Youngmin laughs. “It’s most times but shush, no one needs to know.”

The redhead pulls out his phone and groans. “Damn, I totally forgot about the frat party tonight.”

“Not a fan of parties?” Yongguk asks, retracting his hand from his bag and closing it.

Youngmin scrunches his face. “I like the parties 101 throws but tonight there might be some party crashers and I’m not a fan of that. Plus, I have an assignment due soon and I’d rather work on that than party.”

“Ahh,” Yongguk nods in understanding. “You can hide in your room, I’ll cover for you if you need it.”

Youngmin shoots him a grateful smile and Yongguk feels his cheeks warm slightly. “Thanks, man. I’d really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“IT’S SHOWTIME!”

“Jisung please! It’s not time for that!”

Yongguk emerges from his room and exchanges a confused look with Kenta from across the hallway. Kenta shrugs in answer to his questioning look.

A minute later, Yoon Jisung runs up the stairs and down the hallway, Seongwoo hot on his heels. They’re both carrying streamers and Seongwoo has a camera in one hand, trying to hold it steady while they run.

“PRE-PARTY AT 101,” Seongwoo screams into the lens. “Jonghyun says it’s not time. He doesn’t know a party starts at _any_ time!”

“SEONGWOO!” Jonghyun bellows from the bottom floor. “I KNOW WHAT TIME THE PARTY STARTS. SHUT IT!”

Yongguk laughs and shakes his head at them. He makes his way downstairs and raises his eyebrows when he sees how the bottom floor has been transformed. 

“Whoa, what happened here?”

Taehyun appears out of nowhere and claps his hands, startling Yongguk. “101 doesn’t half ass parties. It’s always go big or go home.”

Contrary to its usual appearance, the bottom floor of the frat house was decorated with fancy lights and all the easily breakable stuff was gone. It didn’t look that different, save for the giant lion statue at the entrance to the house.

“So…” Yongguk trails off, wondering if he should bring it up or not, “Where did that come from?”

“My lips are sealed,” Taehyun grins, “But it’s always here and no one knows where it came from or why we have it, really. Jonghyun insists on having it every party, though.”

Yongguk’s eyebrows furrow and he turns away. “Okay…”

Taehyun laughs. “Don’t worry, small one. You’ll learn eventually.”

He skips away, leaving Yongguk puzzled. Shrugging, Yongguk follows the voice of the frat president and finds him prepping some of the frat brothers for the party.

“Got it?” Jonghyun finishes. He looks at everyone in the room, conveying his seriousness, and is met with nods.

“Okay, now that Oldilocks is done with lecturing us about stuff we already know,” Minki stands with a flourish, “Are we ready to get this show on the road?”

Jonghyun rolls his eyes to hide his smile, “Minki, please.”

“Yes sir,” Minki copies his eyeroll, “Okay, Daniel, Dongho, Jihoon, to your positions please. If anyone needs me, I’ll be at the bar.”

Minki walks off, winking at Yongguk when he passes him. Yongguk blushes and nods to everyone as he makes his way to Jonghyun. When everyone is gone, he turns to the elder.

“We have a bar?”

“Only for parties,” Jonghyun quickly assures him. “Minki handles it very well and Sewoon is good help in case anything it happens – which it doesn’t! Don’t look so worried.”

“I’m not,” Yongguk smiles slightly, “I’m just.. kind of nervous?”

Jonghyun makes a small noise of understanding. “I was so nervous for my first fraternity party. Back then, our president was Kim Junmyeon, one of the best presidents, and he made sure everything was under control. Minki and I were best friends from then and Minki made sure I got super drunk. I woke up the next morning next to Minhyun and I still have no idea what happened that night.”

Yongguk was speechless. “Uhh, was that supposed to make me less nervous? Because it didn’t, not at all in fact.”

Jonghyun laughs, “No, what I’m trying to say is stay away from Minki or you might not regret it. Or you can always go and hole up in Youngmin’s room if it gets too much. This is the first party he’s sitting out.”

“Thanks,” Yongguk says earnestly. Despite the horror story just told to him, he does feel better. Jonghyun somehow managed to ease his nerves and he had an escape plan if he needed one.

“But enjoy yourself,” Jonghyun smiles, “Our parties are fun. Just don’t drink whatever Minki gives you.”

Yongguk chuckles, “I won’t. Thanks, hyung.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Somehow, Yongguk found himself sitting outside, pressed next to Kenta whilst Sungwoon tries to apply lipstick on Daniel.

Daniel’s eyes are closed and if Yongguk didn’t know any better, he would think the other had already accepted his fate. 

“Okay, okay,” Jisung giggles loudly, “Sungwoon-ah, you can stop.”

Sungwoon falls back and looks up at Daniel, laughing loudly, “I’m so sorry Daniel!”

A mirror is passed to Daniel and he sighs when he sees himself, “Oh my God.”

Jisung goes to measure Daniel and Sewoon and pronounces Sewoon and Gunhee the winners. Daniel flops down next to Yongguk and sighs again.

“I am _not_ kissing those lips!” Seongwoo declares loudly when he sees Daniel.

Daniel glares, “No one asked you to!”

Yongguk starts to laugh but promptly stops when he hears his name being called. “Huh?”

“C’mon,” Kenta nudges him excitedly, “We’re partners!”

He groans but stands as Kenta pulls him. Kenta insists on being the guinea pig and so Yongguk goes to stand on the other side of the bench and waits for Jisung to blow the whistle.

Next to him, Jaehwan hops from foot to foot and immediately starts spinning when Jisung blows the whistle.

Yongguk startles and follows, holding his nose and spinning clockwise whilst doubled over, his left arm trapped against his face. Almost instantaneously, his head starts spinning and his vision blurs slightly. The little alcohol he ingested earlier wasn’t helping either.

He loses his balance and falls on the floor. Cheers and laughter meet his ears and he laughs as he gets up to continue spinning. Jaehwan has already finished his spins and takes off towards his target. His loud shrieks of laughter cause everyone to start laughing and fear flashes across Minhyun’s face.

Yongguk finishes his spins and takes a step towards Kenta and promptly falls on the floor. His laughs erupt in short bursts and he gets to his feet with much difficulty. He feels like a new-born fawn learning to walk for the first time.

“YONGGUK-AH!” Kenta screams, “Hurry!”

“I’m! Coming!” Yongguk huffs out, running as fast as he can towards his friend. Halfway towards Kenta, he stumbles and falls again and for a moment he hopes he didn’t just break the lipstick in his hand.

Then he wonders what the frat guys are even doing with lipstick in the first place and shakes his head.

He makes it to Kenta and grabs the back of his neck with one hand, the other shakily smearing lipstick all over Kenta’s face. He doesn’t even know if any of the lipstick went on the required destination.

Jaehwan’s laughter and Kenta’s squealing rings in his ears and he can’t help but laugh. His eyes are so unfocused and he’s pretty sure he needs to throw up now.

“Aaaand stop!” Jisung bellows and Yongguk drops down to the ground.

He blinks up at Kenta and giggles, “I’m sorry!”

Seongwoo goes to measure their lipstick and Kenta gapes when he sees himself. Jaehwan and Minhyun are declared the winners and Kenta and Yongguk proceed to take their loser shots.

The alcohol settles in his stomach and Yongguk grins. “Can I volunteer this time?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

As it turns out, there were some party crashers but none that weren’t welcome. Yongguk would meet them eventually and learn that they were a part of 101’s rival fraternity. He would also become close with one of them and becomes deeply drawn into the rivalry.

4 a.m. finds Yongguk passed out on the lion statue by the entrance. He wakes briefly to dying shouts and he’s pretty sure he can see Jonghyun and Minhyun making out in a corner. 

“Ahhh, Yongguk-ah,” a voice pierces through his bleariness and he tries to focus his sight on the person. “C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”

Yongguk groans and feels himself being lifted by strong arms. His head rolls into their chest and he somehow hopes he doesn’t throw up on the person.

He floats in and out of consciousness. The last thing he remembers is being gently tucked into his own bed and a fleeting press of lips against his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took me so long guys :((( I was distraught after the finale bc of Samuel and Jonghyun, I had to take a break from tumblr and social media hahaha and I couldn't even _think_ of this. Buut I hope you enjoyed this update! ALSO WANNA ONE I ALREADY STAN THEM SO HARD and even though I'm upset about 2kim, I really love the lineup and I'm so happy some of my faves made it. I also created a wanna one/pd101 sideblog [here](https://kimsjaehwan.tumblr.com/) so don't be afraid to come scream at me about anything and everything, especially pd101 ^.^ wow that was long and kudos to _you_ for reading this! Thank you  <333


	4. be WARned

The leaves were gradually bleeding red as the semester wore on. Yongguk took his time to walk to his first class of the day; he had grown used to the times and so waking up on time was no more the problem it used to be. His left hand was shoved in his pocket and in his right he held a takeaway coffee which he intermittently sipped.

When he walks into the room, he immediately spots Jaehwan and makes a beeline for him. Jaehwan has his arm propped on the desk and his head was resting in his hand. His eyes were closed and Yongguk couldn’t help but laugh at the dozing boy.

“Jaehwan-ah,” Yongguk sits down next to him and whispers.

The boy doesn’t stir. Yongguk shakes him slightly and repeats his name. Jaehwan startles and his elbow slips off the desk, his body following the momentum and he almost falls off his seat.

Yongguk bursts into laughter and overlooks the glare sent his way. 

Jaehwan groans loudly. “Why do 8 a.m. classes exist?”

“I honestly have no idea,” Yongguk shrugs, “To torture us?”

“Sounds about right,” Kenta collapses into the seat on the other side of Jaehwan. “I don’t think Eunki is gonna make it to class. He got in late after his dance class last night and he didn’t look too good.”

Before they could say more, their professor walked in and all conversation ceased.

Yongguk’s concentration was slipping until the words ‘group project’ was spoken. He exchanges a curious look with Jaehwan and sits forward.

From what he gathers, their assignment is to compose and write a song that counts for 60% of their final grade. 

The class ends after that and everyone files out, eager to see when the group names would be posted. Yongguk trails after his friends, hoping he’d be in a group with at least one of them.

His next class isn’t until midday, so he parts with his friends and makes his way to the nearby coffee shop that he had visited that morning. 

Upon entering, he quickly steps to the short line to place his order. He finds a quiet corner by the windows and takes out his laptop with the intention of getting some work done. 

He immerses himself in his work and doesn’t look up until someone sits down in the seat opposite him.

Yongguk startles and nearly knocks over his (mostly empty) coffee cup. Luckily, the person who surprised him has quicker reflexes and manages to save the cup from falling.

“Whoa there,” Youngmin laughs, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Yongguk waves him off and checks the time. He has a good half hour before his next class, so he decides to put his laptop and talk to his frat brother.

“I heard Minki was planning a meeting with the new recruits,” Yongguk starts, “You don’t happen to know anything about it, do you?”

“Did he say it was top secret?” Youngmin asks and laughs when Yongguk nods, “You don’t have anything to be worried about. I can’t tell you, but I guarantee that it’s nothing to stress over.”

Yongguk sighs in relief. “Thank you, I didn’t know what to think, but that does make me feel better.”

Youngmin gives him a reassuring smile and Yongguk’s heart skips a beat. “There’s nothing you should be worried about in 101.” He pauses.

“Yet.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“At ease, soldiers!” Minki claps his hands. “Choi Minki, reporting for duty!”

The four boys exchange wide-eyed looks and turn towards Minki. “Uhm, okay?”

“As you know,” Minki paces in front of them, “We have a rival fraternity. Tonight, I am here to educate you on them and tell you why they are our rivals.”

Yongguk flashes back to the secretive smile of Taehyun’s and a thrill of excitement runs through him. The elder had been dropping hints when he’d heard of the meeting and Yongguk felt a sense of belonging as he learnt about their rival fraternity.

“They’re called Zeta Tau Alpha and despite their name, they are not the alpha!” Minki huffs. 

Jaehwan raises his eyebrow and bites his lip, trying to hold in his laugh. Yongguk gulps. If Jaehwan laughs, they’re all screwed; his laugh is more contagious than a yawn during an 8 a.m. class.

“Uhh,” Eunki clears his throat, “So why are they our rivals.”

“Because, dear Hong Eunki,” Minki steps forward and shoots them all a glare. “It’s a long story.”

He steps back and takes a deep breath. “It all starts a long, long time ago. Actually, I don’t remember when exactly it started but I’m sure it was a long time ago.”

“This fraternity has only been around for twenty years,” Kenta interrupts.

“Twenty years is a long time!” Minki squeals. “Now, let me talk.”

He stomps his foot and Yongguk smiles at his dramatic behaviour. He wouldn’t say it out loud but he finds the vice president to be completely adorable.

Minki turns his gaze to Yongguk and all previous thoughts about him being adorable completely vanish.

“101 is musically inclined and it happens that so too is Zetoes.” Minki continues.

“Ze… _toes_.” Eunki mouths at his friends and they all try to stifle their laughter. 

“And we’re obviously one of the best frats around. We always win everything we participate in and we’re fiercely loyal. No one, absolutely no one betrays 101 and gets away with it.”

Minki’s eyes narrow. “Until one day, a 101 brother went and fell in love with a Zetoe.”

They gulp simultaneously. 

“He was so in love that he didn’t see the Zetoe leeching information from him about the big end-of-year showcase. That year, Zetoes won using cheating and manipulation.”

“What happened to the 101 member?” Yongguk whispers, completely entranced by Minki.

“We kicked him out.” Minki shrugs. “You betray us, we let you go. It’s as simple as that.”

Kenta whistles lowly and Yongguk sits back, taking this in. He had heard of the end-of-year showcase and he was excited to take part in his first showcase. It was a huge event; scouts from around the country attended with the aim of picking up prospective recruits. It definitely wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

“Also!” Minki shouts, startling the four who were staring off into space, contemplating the gravity of the rivalry, “We have an ongoing prank war.”

“A prank war?” Eunki repeats, his eyes widening.

“A prank war.” Minki confirms and smiles slowly. “When you have a rival fraternity, you irrationally hate everything they do. And what better to annoy them other than a classic prank war?”

“But nothing has happened yet?” Yongguk’s eyebrows furrow. He remembers the gatecrashers from the party but no one kicked them out or fought with them. Maybe they were not from their rival frat.

“That’s because it was too early in the semester,” Minki explains, “Their initiations take longer because they actually do a bit of hazing, which we are firmly against. And plus, we _know_ who we want. Any toe can join Zetoes.”

“What happens after they finalize their new recruits?” Jaehwan asks.

“Then things get sticky.” Minki replies. “The pranks start and anyone and everyone is targeted. It’s not pretty but it sure is hell of a lot of fun. Get ready boys, you’re in for a wild ride. As new brothers, they’ll be sure to get you first. Don’t worry; we’ll get some of the 101 brothers to protect you. But be careful. And start thinking! We need to retaliate, of course.”

Kenta grimaces, “So, you’re saying we should prepare for the pranks?”

“Yes boys,” Minki’s eyes glint. “Prepare for war.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your lovely comments and over 100 kudos oh my gods! It makes me so happy that you're enjoying this :') feel free to come scream at me about pd101/wanna one any time ^.^ (also how funny is the pun in the chapter title, I'm so proud of my bad puns asdfhdhdh)


	5. never don't mind about a thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for sad and maybe self hatred thoughts

It was only the middle of the semester and Yongguk’s motivation was buried deep beneath the ground. He had started university with a fresh outlook on life, an impressive amount of hope in his heart and stars in his eyes.

Now? Now he just wants to sleep.

“I hate studying.” Yongguk sighs and buries his head in his arms. 

“Me too, bro,” Eunki looks at him and Yongguk swears he can see tears in Eunki’s eyes. “Why must university be so hard?”

“You know what we need?” Jaehwan snaps his fingers, snapping them loudly enough for the boys to spring to life.

“Do I want to know?” Yongguk asks himself quietly and receives a dirty glance from Jaehwan.

“A party,” Jaehwan sticks his tongue out at Yongguk and declares proudly. “We need a party to motivate us and get our blood pumping.”

“Yeah I don’t think so,” Kenta shoots his idea down immediately. “I want to pass this test, not be so hungover that I forget everything and fail.”

“We won’t have the party right before the test!” Jaehwan rolls his eyes and pouts. “Come on, it will be a freshman party!”

“Do we even know enough freshman to _have_ a freshman party?” Eunki wonders aloud.

“You don’t need a lot of people, you just need the _right_ people,” Jaehwan’s eyes glint. When he gets no reaction, he huffs and his pout deepens. “You guys are no fun.”

“Study, Jaehwan-ah,” Yongguk laughs and pushes his book closer to Jaehwan. “We party afterwards, okay?”

A sudden rustling near the bookshelf behind them catches Yongguk’s attention and he peers through the shelf. Seeing nothing, he shrugs and returns to his own studies, ignoring Eunki’s sniffles and Kenta’s intermittent groans.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The sky was grey this afternoon, much like Yongguk’s mind. He shuffled out of class, his head hung low. He ignored invitations to hang out and had his mind set on going back to the frat house so he could stay in bed for the rest of the day.

As much as he tried to focus on having the rest of the day free, he couldn’t help but circle back to the bad grade he just received. 

Music theory was one of his favourite classes and he had worked extremely hard. When he reviewed his paper, he noticed that not only did he make careless mistakes but, in the frenzy of the testing situation, he had also switched from Hangeul to Hanja for a bit.

“I could do with a bit of cheering up,” Yongguk whispers to himself as he exits the university gates.

In his dark mood, he had begun to crave coffee from one of his favourite off-campus cafes. Figuring he has the time, he changes his course of direction.

The walk to the café clears his mind a bit and he resolves to strengthen his Korean and work harder. As he pays and prepares to go back home, he whispers, “Don’t worry, Sihyun. I’ll be okay.”

He doesn’t want to fail and lose his scholarship and get kicked out. It would only serve to disappoint him and Sihyun, who would join him next year. 

If only he’d worked harder, if only he’d studied for longer, if only, if only, if only.

Even with the warm drink in his hand, his mind fails to be distracted and he gets lost in a sea of what if’s. His legs move on autopilot and he pays no attention to his surroundings, too caught up in the darkness of his mind. 

In his unawareness of his surroundings, he fails to see a frenzied man rushing down the sidewalk, his elbow jutting out as he holds his phone to his air. His elbow makes contact with the Yongguk’s cheek and the momentum causes Yongguk to fall backwards, losing his grip on his coffee.

He watches with bated breath as the coffee falls on the man, bounces off him, splashes on Yongguk himself, practically cartwheels in the air and crashes to the ground.

“You stupid boy!” The man screams, staring at his coffee stained shirt and jacket. “Watch where you’re walking! Are you blind or something?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Yongguk stammers. His hands move unconsciously towards the man, in a poor attempt to make up for the incident.

“Don’t touch me! Aish, dumb university students!” The man is livid. He casts Yongguk a filthy glance before storming off in the opposite direction.

“I…” Yongguk’s words die in his throat as he stares at the dark liquid before him. The uncomfortableness of the coffee on his own clothes goes unnoticed and he belatedly registers the stinging pain in his cheek.

A loud clap of thunder strikes and a second later, the skies start to cry.

Yongguk blinks up at the clouds. “Yeah, me too,” he gives a weak laugh and continues home.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When he goes through the gates of 101, a figure barrels and a jacket is immediately thrown over him. He’s pulled into the house and into the nearest bathroom. 

Only when his name is repeated a few times does he come out of his stupor.

“Yongguk-ah?”

“Hm?” He blinks and looks up into the concerned eyes of Youngmin. The intensity of the concern startles him and then he starts to feel guilty for making the elder worry so much.

“What happened?”

“It started to rain,” Yongguk shifts and realises how horrible the wet clothes feel. Water drips from his hair into his eyes and he blinks. “I don’t really own an umbrella.”

His head snaps back when a towel is gently pressed against his face. Youngmin lets out a lowly distressed noise and carefully wipes his face.

Yongguk realises he’s seated on the side of a bathtub in one of the bathrooms. He holds his breath as Youngmin towel-dries his hair gently and uses another hand to pull a towel around Yongguk’s shoulders.

Yongguk’s hand grips the towel and Youngmin steps back.

“There’s more to it than just rain.”

There’s no question or doubt in his voice. Yongguk looks up at Youngmin and is once again surprised to see the furrow of Youngmin’s eyebrows.

His heart heavy, Yongguk nods.

Youngmin’s smile is bittersweet. “Wash up, I’ll bring you some warm clothes.”

He walks to the door and pauses. “Yongguk-ah.”

Yongguk glances to him and blinks, prompting him to continue. “It will be okay. I’m here for you.”

A lump forms in his throat and Youngmin leaves with a comforting smile. Yongguk looks down at his hands and wishes Youngmin had stayed just a little longer. He sighs and stands. He desperately needs a shower and he hopes the hot water will do him some good.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When he returns to his room, clad in his sweatpants and an unknown sweater, with a towel around his neck, he finds Youngmin waiting with two steaming mugs.

“Yongguk-ah!” Youngmin’s bright smile automatically makes him feel well. “Sit, here you go.”

He’s handed a mug once he sits and takes a small sip. The hot chocolate is a welcome taste and he unconsciously sighs in content.

A hot shower, comfy clothes and a warm drink makes him feel like himself, if not better.

Youngmin sits back as well and for a moment, the only sound is the two of them sipping on their hot drinks.

Yongguk takes the time to survey the elder before him. Youngmin’s red hair is messy and slightly wet and Yongguk realises he had rushed out without any cover for himself. The thought warms him and also makes him feel a bit guilty. 

“So,” Youngmin looks up and catches his gaze. Yongguk flushes and averts his eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?” Yongguk asks, looking anywhere but at the redhead.

Youngmin places his mug down and stretches to rest a hand on Yongguk’s knee. “You were out in the rain, aimless and you weren’t yourself. What happened, Yongguk-ah? You can tell me.”

All it takes is one look into Youngmin’s earnest eyes for the river within Yongguk to break. He pours out everything to Youngmin, from his bad start to the day, to his bad grade and then the rude man. 

When he mentions the man, Youngmin reaches hand out and lightly presses against Yongguk’s cheek. At the slightest contact, Yongguk hisses and moves back. 

“Ouch, that's going to bruise.” Youngmin winces. “I’ll get you something for that, don’t worry.”

Emotionally and physically drained, Yongguk sits back and closes his eyes. “I didn’t expect everything to be this hard,” he confesses.

He feels the bed dip next to him and shoulders pressed next to him.

“It’s always harder than what you expect,” Youngmin whispers and Yongguk opens his eyes to look at him.

Youngmin stares straight ahead, his hands clasped around his knees, which he brings to his chest. “University is not easy, Yongguk-ah. And getting a bad grade and having a bad day doesn’t really help, either. But don’t, please don’t, place all the blame on yourself.”

“But-“ Yongguk opens his mouth to argue and is quickly interrupted.

“But nothing,” Youngmin smiles cheekily. “You can only do so much before the universe shits on you. We’re not universe-shit protected, unfortunately.”

Yongguk is surprised by the laugh that bursts out of him. He wipes a small tear from his eye and catches the proud smile on Youngmin’s face.

On impulse, he rests his head on Youngmin’s shoulder. He feels the boy tense beneath him, before relaxing and shifting ever so slightly to make both of them more comfortable.

“I just don’t know what to do,” Yongguk whispers. “I try so hard and my efforts are not rewarded. I still can’t fully understand Hangeul and I worry that I’ll be kicked out of university.”

“It’s okay to feel that way,” Youngmin replies, “But hey, listen to me. You _can_ do this. One bad mark doesn’t define you as a person. Use it to take note of your strengths and weaknesses and learn from this. Think about this when you’re studying and motivate yourself to work harder. You’re much smarter than you credit yourself for, Yongguk-ah.”

Yongguk sighs heavily and doesn’t reply for a while. He almost feels like falling asleep. 

He speaks quietly, “Thank you, hyung. That really means a lot to me. I was feeling really terrible not too long ago.”

“And hey,” Youngmin gently nudges him, “You can always come to me for help with Hangeul! And Sewoon did music theory, I’m sure he’d be happy to help you out.”

“This frat is more than just a fraternity, we’re a brotherhood and we look after each other. Don’t be afraid to ask, we’re all more than willing to help out.”

“Thank you,” Yongguk smiles for the first time that day, a genuine and wide smile. “You took care of me really well.”

“It was the least I could do,” Youngmin cards his hand through Yongguk’s drying hair and the younger feels his lids grow heavier.

The last thing he hears is, “Sleep, Yongguk-ah. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am really sorry for this super sad chapter hahaha, and also sorry for the long wait for an update! I returned to uni this week and things are already so hectic >.< but wow, so much is happening in the pd101/wanna one fandom and it's so hard to stay on track with everything! Don't worry, the next chapter will be _much_ more light-hearted and happy ^.^ thank you for reading ♡


	6. to be one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my Jaethots, especially to Lucy, who's live texting whilst she read this fic made my entire year hahaha, I love you guys :')
> 
> also, slight warning for typical uni students getting drunk hahah

Yongguk is on his way to class when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and he unconsciously tenses. Pausing mid-step, he glances around and surreptitiously studies his surroundings.

Upon noticing nothing out of the ordinary, he continues to his destination, his mind cloudy with uneasiness. He had been getting the feeling of being watched lately and he couldn’t shake it off. He shakes his head; perhaps it was his sleep deprivation manifesting in slight paranoia. Yeah, perhaps so.

Climbing the stairs to his class, he spots Jaehwan and Eunki aimlessly wandering outside in the hallway. They spot him and he waves, taking the last few steps to them.

The three of them chat for a while, only ceasing once the rumbling of students from inside the room signal the class is over and their’s is soon to begin. They step aside and patiently wait for everyone to exit the room, greeting some of their frat brothers as they leave.

“Kenta said he’s almost here,” Yongguk checks his phone and informs them.

“Let’s wait here for him,” Eunki suggests, “The professor isn’t here anyway.”

Yongguk shrugs and leans against the wall. He folds his arms and is about to say something before a commotion draws his attention.

A figure bursts out of the classroom and leans against the wall, shaking their head. Their gaze moves around and their eyes widen once the group is spotted.

“Did you see Sewoon and Taehyun?” Sungwoon’s eyes are heavy with sleep and his hair is sticking up in different directions.

“Yeah, they left a while ago,” Yongguk nods.

Sungwoon lets out a loud wail and his shoulders droop. “Those dumbasses!” 

“What happened?” Eunki bites his lip to control his laughter.

“They left me!” Sungwoon almost shrieks, “I fell asleep and they _lefti > me!”_

Jaehwan bursts into laughter, “Sorry, hyung, but that’s so funny!”

“It’s funny until it happens to you!” Sungwoon pouts and rubs his eyes. “I’m going to kill them. I’ll see you guys back at the house!”

“Be careful!” Kenta calls after his retreating figure. The four of them share a laugh over their hyung’s misfortune and hurry into class.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_cloudwoon @ iota omega iota_

  


**cloudwoon:** Jonghyun, can we ban Sewoon and Taehyun from the house today?

 **onibugi president** : what happened, Sungwoon-ah?

 **cloudwoon** : they left me to fend for myself :( please???

 **ponyo** : sungwoon-ah, I wanted to wake you up! Blame Taehyun, he pulled me out before I could do anything.

 **call me yongguk:** uhm… but we saw you walking out just fine??

 **better ren all of you** : TEA HAS BEEN SPILLED ON THIS FINE NIGHT

 **yes taehyun:** mINKI HUSH

 **ponyo:** I’m sorry cloud :( I’ll buy you coffee to make up for it?

 **cloudwoon:** ….

 **yes taehyun:** *sighs* and a new neck pillow

 **cloudwoon:** :) okay and it better be a cute one

 **onibugi president:** whew, crisis averted  >.<

 

 

* * *

 

 

Yongguk hums to himself as he makes his way back to the frat house. His group project for his Music Theory class was coming along better than he’d expected. Thankfully, he was in a group with Jaehwan and two other nice kids, Gwanghyun and Yehyun. He had also been getting some help with his other classes from Sewoon and he’d lately started informal classes with him and Youngmin to help improve his Korean.

It was the end of the week and on Sunday was Kenta’s birthday. There was going to be a small frat gathering for him and then the four pledges and some of their other friends would be heading out for the day. 

His week was going pretty well and he was grateful for the help he was receiving. With a small smile on his face, he stuffs his hands into his pocket and pauses when he hears his name being called.

His name was repeated, louder and closer. Yongguk looks around and notices Youngmin racing towards him, backpack hitting against him, which seemed somewhat painful.

“Youngmin-hyung –“

“MOVE!” Youngmin screams. 

“Huh?” Yongguk furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Move?”

Youngmin skids to a stop before him and pushes him out of the way. Yongguk stumbles, his foot catching on something and the building wall breaks what could have been a painful fall.

As soon as he hits the wall, he hears a loud ‘splat’ and looks over to see Youngmin dripping with … 

“Is that paint?!” Yongguk exclaims. He ignores the pain in his side and launches himself at Youngmin.

“No!” Youngmin half laughs, half shrieks. 

Yongguk gasps when something wet bursts on his head. Water drips down his face and blurs his vision. He registers Youngmin pulling him along as they stumble far away from the crime scene.

He manages to wipe his eyes and together they run away from the buildings and towards the frat house, ignoring the weird and questioning stares sent their way. Only once they’re at the frat house, does Youngmin pause to explain.

“That’s a notorious spot for Zeta Tau Alpha’s to prank us,” Youngmin gasps for breath. “Luckily I saw you in time.”

Yongguk makes a noise of understanding, “Ah, Zetoes.”

Youngmin groans loudly, “Wow, I thought Minki would stop introducing them as that.”

“It’s catchy,” Yongguk laughs. “But why is there paint on you?!”

The redhead looks himself and Yongguk over and groans again. “Damnit. They got us good, it seems.”

“So it was the Zetoes?” Yongguk wipes water and paint off of himself with a frown. 

“ _Zetoes_ ,” Youngmin mutters in resignation, “Yeah, it was them. I don’t know if you heard but these small pranks have been happening this week. It seems they’ve started on their… reign of terror I suppose.”

“Aren’t we going to retaliate?” Yongguk peers at him through wet strands of hair.

“I don’t usually participate,” Youngmin pauses, his eyes darkening, “But now I’d like to. You’re the first pledge they’ve attacked, so stick close to the others and be careful of anyone who’s not a 101 brother.”

“Okay,” Yongguk nods, “Hey, the paint matches your hair!”

“And that paint just ruined your shirt! HA!”

“DAMNIT!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENTA!” Jaehwan shrieks as they all down another shot.

The vodka burns its way down Yongguk’s throat and he winces. He was honestly surprised when Dongho handed him the bottle and said it was a gift for Kenta. They weren’t complaining though, the more the merrier.

Jaehwan’s psychopathic laughter brings him back to the present as more shots are passed around. He loses count around the 5th burn and giggles when the alcohol settles warmly in his stomach.

“Okay, okay,” Eunki tries to get their attention, “Let’s play ‘Never Have I Ever’!”

“NO!” Gwanghyun vehemently argues. “Even better, let’s go see what’s in these woods.”

“I’ve been here before,” Seongwoo shakes his head, “Trust me when I say there’s nothing interesting.”

“But hyung!” Yongguk complains, trying to do aegyo. “Please?”

Seongwoo shares an amused glance with his boyfriend. “Freshmen are so cute when they’re drunk.”

“Hey!” Yongguk pouts. “I’ve been drunk before!”

“YOU ARE A MINOR!” Daniel gasps and hugs him close. “No more alcohol for you.”

“Stop it, mom,” Yongguk laughs and pushes him away. “Please can we?”

“Fine!” Daniel rolls his eyes. “Who wants to go for a walk?”

Almost everyone screams their approval. With resigned sighs, Daniel and Seongwoo lead the small group into the woods. Yongguk reaches for Kenta and together they stagger over a large root, giggling when they almost slip.

Yongguk takes a sip from his cup and stumbles slightly. Wine spills a little and he licks the drops that fell on his face. Kenta laughs at him and he grumbles good-naturedly.

“Look at the stars! They’re so pretty!” Jaehwan says loudly. Gwanghyun and Donghan pause to stare at the sky and Eunki laughs.

“You idiots! It’s midday!”

“He’s right, OMG!” Gwanghyun sighs. “That star over there is my favourite. I’m going to name it Sewoon.”

Seongwoo bursts into laughter and sneakily snaps a picture of them. He finishes what’s left in his cup and sighs. “I’m not drunk enough for this.”

Yongguk grips Kenta’s arm tightly as they go down a steep path. They pass Yehyun and Jaehwan, who are now discussing the modern day rap technique and he pulls a face.

“I’m a rapper,” Yongguk hears Jaehwan say. “Do you want me to show you?”

“A rapper? So cool! My favourite rapper is Dobby, who’s yours?” Yehyun stares at him with wide eyes.

“Dobby?” Jaehwan scoffs, “Please, I bet you a thousand Won that I’m a better rapper than him.”

“Who the fuck is Dobby?” Donghan stage whispers. 

Yongguk doesn’t know why he finds this so funny. He doubles over in laughter and tears blur his vision. 

It’s a bit of a blur after that.

He’s pretty sure they actually did play Never Have I Ever at one point and he’s also sure that Jaehwan eventually threw up. He remembers the sticky feeling of dried wine on his fingers and a small bruise from where he bumped painfully into a tree.

They actually do stay out late enough to see the stars and Yongguk concludes that they are indeed beautiful, especially when there’s the warm feeling of alcohol in his belly and the warmth from his friends lying with him, on the cold ground as they see the stars amongst the velvet sky.

“Beautiful,” Eunki breathes and Yongguk can’t help but agree.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_ong not hong @ iota omega iota_

 

_(image)_

_(image)_

_(image)_

_(image)_

**better ren all of you:** they grow up so fast :’)

 **onibugi president** : Why is Kenta hugging the tree?

 **peach niel** : they needed to be saved apparently

 **yes taehyun** : the last one is a picture of Daniel’s butt

 **ong not hong:** ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't get drunk and go hiking in the woods, I say this from experience. [Also better ren all of you pls tell me you guys got the pun] ALSO, hmm, I wonder why Youngmin is so interested in retaliating all of a sudden ;)


	7. interlude: let it go, let it be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **yes taehyun** : DAS RIGHT GET HIM SHORTY
> 
>  **ong not hong** : lol which one are you talking to
> 
>  **better ren all of you** : Jaehwan, Sungwoon, shall I bring some ice for that burn?

The last week before the mid-semester break saw everyone running on few hours of sleep, guzzling coffee at any available chance and trying to squeeze in some last minute studying. At the end of the week, they didn’t even have the energy to think of partying.

The iota omega iota house cleared quickly, with almost everyone returning to their homes for the short break. Being a transfer student, Yongguk didn’t exactly have anywhere to go to.

“Aren’t you packing up?” his daydreaming was broken by Youngmin entering his room that afternoon.

Yongguk shrugs, “Nope. I’m staying here for the break. Jonghyun-hyung said it’s okay.”

Youngmin’s face dropped so fast that Yongguk immediately waves his hands.

“I’ll be fine! I don’t mind, I can get some extra studying done.” Yongguk reassures him.

“But it’s a _break_ ,” Youngmin all but pouts.

Yongguk laughs, “Don’t worry about me, hyung, I’ll be fine!”

Youngmin bites his lower lip and stares into space for a moment. Yongguk wants to nudge him out of his thoughts but he suddenly snaps his head towards Yongguk, startling him.

“Come to my house!” Youngmin blurts out.

“Huh?” Yongguk’s brows furrow in confusion.

“Yeah!” Youngmin’s face lights up and he looks so _excited_. “Come home with me! My mom will love having you over, she loves meeting my friends. There’s always extra place and you won’t be alone!”

“But studying…” Yongguk whispers, feeling unsure and not wanting to impose.

“If you’re really worried about it,” Youngmin playfully rolls his eyes, “We can always come back slightly earlier.”

“I don’t want to trouble you,” Yongguk’s resolve was weakening, and they both knew it.

Youngmin shakes his head and his red curls bounce with the movement, “You’re not! Please, Guk-ah. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

And he fell, hook, line and sinker. 

Yongguk heaves a sigh and nods slowly, “Okay, guess I’m coming home with you then.”

Youngmin’s cheers were definitely worth him agreeing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They leave on an early Tuesday morning. Iota Omega Iota is quiet as the final two members depart, locking up and making sure the house stays safe and secure.

Youngmin leads him to a train station, where they catch the earliest train possible to Busan, Youngmin’s hometown. Yongguk lets himself be lulled to sleep by the repetitive sound of the train tracks and wakes up some time later with his head on Youngmin’s shoulder.

Youngmin waves off his apologies and they spend the remainder of the trip with Youngmin telling him all about Busan and his favourite childhood memories.

His eyes light up and he waves his hands animatedly, talking with rapid-fire satoori, and Yongguk smiles unconsciously, a small fire building in the pit of his stomach.

The trip ends sooner than they expect, and they exit the train with their luggage held close. Youngmin’s eyes scour the Busan station and his eyes widen when he spots someone.

“Mom!” Youngmin exclaims and takes off, grabbing onto Yongguk and pulling him along.

Yongguk is startled and has to try very hard not to trip and fall flat on his face. Youngmin releases him to launch himself at a small woman, who catches him with a strength that has Yongguk’s eyebrows raised.

He stands there awkwardly as Youngmin and his mom hug and quickly catch up, as much as they can whilst standing at the station. He slips into daydreaming and is tugged out when Youngmin gestures to him.

“Mom, this is Yongguk, one of my friends and frat brothers,” Youngmin’s eyes crinkle as he introduces them.

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Yongguk bows low and is once again startled when Youngmin’s mom pulls him into a hug.

She says something in Korean that Yongguk doesn’t understand and his confused smile makes her laugh.

“Welcome, Yongguk-ah,” she says and her tone warms him to his core. Her embrace feels soft and suddenly he misses his own mother with an intensity that makes his heart hurt.

“Come on,” Youngmin’s mother says with a soft smile, “Let’s go home.”

And Yongguk doesn’t regret coming, not even for a split second.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Youngmin’s home is spacious and cosy. The walls are decorated with family photos, pictures of baby Youngmin and there’s even a few of their dog. His room is small and there are posters of famous idols on one side. Yongguk spots some polaroids of Youngmin, cheeks full with baby fat that he doesn’t lose until his junior year, with an equally small boy, who Youngmin says is Donghyun, his childhood best friend.

He gets to meet Youngmin’s father and their dog pays him more attention than Youngmin, at which the cherry-haired boy pouts and whines. Dinner is a lovely affair, with Youngmin’s mom cooking a feast and ensuring both boys have more than one helping.

Surrounded by the warmth that only resides in a house well lived in, with Youngmin’s family laughter serving as a comforting melody, Yongguk smiles and feels himself relax in a way he hasn’t since arriving in Korea.

Youngmin catches his smile and discreetly gives Yongguk’s knee a comforting squeeze. They exchange a small glance and Yongguk’s heart soars.

He truly feels at home here.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They return to iota omega iota a few days before university resumes. Surprisingly, they’re not the first ones back.

Their trip to Busan was spent with Youngmin showing Yongguk all his favourite childhood spots, from the ice-cream shop he and Donghyun frequented to the convenience store he used to work at. His mom made sure they had full meals and entertained them with embarrassing stories and photos of younger Youngmin.

It was short but Yongguk had never been happier. Sure, his homesickness grew tenfold, but Youngmin’s mother treated him so well that it eased up.

Upon their return, they were met with soft voices harmonising together. Youngmin and Yongguk exchanged puzzled looks before following the sound.

They were led to the kitchen, where they found Sungwoon swaying by the stove and Jaehwan sitting nearby, guitar in hand and eyes closed as he and Sungwoon sang to the tune he played.

“Lovely,” Youngmin claps his hands, startling them both. Sungwoon nearly drops the spoon in his hand and Jaehwan full-on shrieks, causing them all to wince.

“Welcome back,” Sungwoon’s glare lacks any heat and there’s a smile tugging at his lips, “I’m making tteokbokki, it’ll be done soon.”

“Thanks, hyung,” Yongguk hugs them both before going to leave his luggage in his room. He changes and puts his phone to charge, before standing up and revelling in the feeling of being back at iota omega iota, back _home_. 

His phone makes a noise and he checks it before going down.

 

_onibugi president @ iota omega iota_

 

 **onibugi president** : I hope everyone is enjoying their break! Study hard and rest well ^.^

 **better ren all of you:** ‘study hard’ and ‘rest well’ don’t go together

**ong not hong:** The Grind Never Stops!! No Breaks!! We Stay Dream Chasing!!!

 **call me yongguk:** someone stop him pls

 **peach niel** : already on it lol

 **ponyo** : anyway,,, see you all soon! Happy holidays ~

 **cloudwoon** : don’t come home early else u have 2 deal w Jaehwan and his shrieking

 **king jaehwan** : no one asked you??? Short stack???

 **alpaca** : Yongguk come down pls I might need you to break up this fight

 

_image_

 

 **yes taehyun** : DAS RIGHT GET HIM SHORTY

 **ong not hong** : lol which one are you talking to

 **better ren all of you** : Jaehwan, Sungwoon, shall I bring some ice for that burn?

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jonghyun is one of the first to return after that. He arrives quietly, scaring the four of them as they’re watching a horror movie and ends up laughing, sending the video he discreetly recorded to the group chat. 

Taehyun slips inside in the middle of the night and almost gives Sungwoon a heart attack by creeping into his room and jumping on his bed. His high-pitched screams wake the entire house and has Yongguk stumbling into his room half asleep and wielding a frying pan. When asked where he got it from, he merely shrugs and falls asleep with it on his bed.

Minki rocks up two days before the break ends in a fancy convertible. He throws the keys to Seongwoo, who arrived that morning with Daniel in tow, and tells him to take good care of it.

Kenta is one of the last to arrive and he returns baring gifts from his short trip to Japan. The snacks he brings are quickly devoured and everyone adores their gifts.

 

The very night before everything recommences in full force, Jonghyun calls a frat meeting.

“Welcome back, everyone,” he begins, smiling serenely at them all. “I take it you had a good break and are ready for the upcoming weeks.”

“No,” Minki scoffs from somewhere in the room. “Is anyone ever ready for university?”

Jaehwan cackles loudly and Jonghyun shakes his head in amusement. “Well, I hope you’re at least ready for _something_.”

Seongwoo sits forward suddenly and Daniel’s hand almost slips off his thigh. “What are you talking about, Jonghyun-ah?”

Jonghyun shoots them a smile full of secrets and plans, and Yongguk feels himself shiver. He hears Taehyun whispering to Sungwoon and only catches the word that makes everyone nearby tense in excitement, “ _Zetoes_ ”.

“The break may be over, but iota omega iota has a plan that’s only just beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!! 
> 
> Firstly, I am SO sorry that it took me so long to update; uni has been annoying and awful hahah bUT I haven't forgotten about this!! I hope you like this chapter ^.^ I'm enjoying writing the small groupchats and yay Zetoes are mentioned again! I promise I'll stop being so mysterious soon hahah. 
> 
> Please let me know what y'all think, comments make me very happy <3 thank you for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me [here](http://baekhyeun.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.  
> 


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